How to Write a Meaningful Mission Statement

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It is becoming increasingly important to have a personal brand, an online presence, and a little digital savviness.

If this feels way over your head and you are still using a landline phone... first of congrats for avoiding the modern pressures, but also yikes! And I gotchu!

With the possibility of future pandemics on the rise, it's a good time to start thinking about how to recession proof your life. Obviously being prepared for every scenario is impossible and unpredictable, but there are a few things we can do to ensure that we have a good foundation in place.

Whether you are creating a personal brand because you wanna spruce up your social media game, you have been in business for a while and need a digital refresh, or you are just birthing a new idea that you want to bring to the world, a great place to start is by writing your mission statement.

“What is a mission statement?” you ask.

A mission statement, as defined by the dictionary, is the formally written aims and values of an individual, organization or business.

Ok, cool, so what does that mean?

The mission statement allows your ideal customers, clients, or audience members know why you are doing what you do. It's also an incredibly powerful tool to use internally because you and your team members (if you have any) can use it as a compass for how you communicate with each other and the outside world, what your offerings are, what makes you different, how you will delight your clients to ensure they keep returning, and how you will deepen relationships with your future clients.

This is so, so important because a really well-written, holistic, authentic mission statement is your guiding light, your purpose, and gives context to everything you do. It can feel daunting to write it out but once you do, you have a framework to build the rest of your business from. Our mission statements can evolve over time, and if we are focused on changing ourselves and the world, they should, but allow this to be a foundation. It doesn't have to be long, in fact, cut out the fluff and make it succinct. A paragraph will do.

I suggest beginning with asking yourself the following questions. Free write and let all your ideas come out. Then go back and edit a couple of times to get to the core essence of what your values are.

Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when writing out your statement:

• Why do you do what you do?

• How did you get here?

• What would you like to be known for (your legacy)?

• Who is your ideal customer (where do they live, what do they value, what do they spend their money on)?

• How do you stand out (how and why are you the best at what you do)?

• How do you want your business to feel both internally and externally?

After you work through these questions I recommend choosing 3 value words that describe your business' values.

Here is a link to download a list I have created and share with my clients to get your brain going.

You don't have to use words from this list but it will help you find which words/ values resonate with you most.

Once you have chosen your three value words think about these as pillars for your business. This will help you edit down your mission statement and pull out the most valuable elements.

Assign one internal practice and one external practice for each value word. For example, one of my words is ritual: internally I practice ritual by having a ceremony I perform before every new client call, photoshoot, or creative project to feel present, grounded and clear. Externally, I offer all of my new clients a welcome packet that introduces them to the journey we are about to embark upon together.

I love this practice because it helps you consider your mission statement as a living document, ensuring your internal and external aspects of your business always tie back to your values.

Now that you have some value words, practice ideas, and a rough draft of your mission statement, start culling it, editing, reducing it. Read it multiple times to see if it feels right. Sleep on it, ask someone else for their opinion and make sure it speaks to the problems that you can solve for your future clients.

Congratulations! This is hard work no doubt, but

writing a meaningful mission statement is truly an act of self-love

because it will exponentially grow your business in a way that feel authentic and true to your values.

P.S. If you need any extra guidance or assistance along the way, I am happy to get on the phone with you and help you work through it. Just contact me here.

Interested in working together to create authentic branding for your business?

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And please share your mission statements in the comments, I love to hear what you are up to.

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